Operation apparatus for vehicle

ABSTRACT

Proposed is an operation apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus includes a panel with an opening, an operation module capable of moving, through the opening, between a first position and a second position spaced apart from each other in a front-back direction, a first rotary link and a second rotary link, each configured to be rotatably provided at a rear of the operation module and to be paired with each other, a drive source configured to provide a driving force for rotating the first rotary link and the second rotary link, and a cam mechanism configured to connect the first rotary link and the second rotary link to the operation module, to induce an angular motion in which the first rotary link and the second rotary link are rotated in opposite directions, and to move the operation module to the first position or the second position.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No.10-2021-0147501, filed Oct. 30, 2021, the entire contents of which isincorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an operation apparatus having a buttonused by a user to operate devices included in a vehicle, primarily froman inside of the vehicle.

Description of the Related Art

In general, vehicles are equipped with an array of devices that improvescomfort and convenience of a user (driver and/or passenger). Thesedevices are controlled by buttons (switches) that the user directlymanipulates.

The buttons may be provided in various forms in an interior of thevehicle. In recent years, as vehicles have come equipped with morefunctions, the number of buttons disposed in the interior of the vehicleis gradually increasing. This may give the user the impression that thebuttons are too complicated to use, or may lead to errors in theoperation of the buttons. In addition, a cluttered interior with toomany buttons may degrade the aesthetic quality of the interior of thevehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present disclosure has been made keeping in mind theabove described problems, and is intended to provide an operationapparatus for a vehicle that improves the visibility of a button and theaesthetic value of a vehicle by configuring the button to appear anddisappear.

Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide an operationapparatus for a vehicle that is more advantageous in terms of improvedappearing/disappearing mechanism for buttons, compactness, and reductionof manufacturing cost.

Still another objective of the present disclosure is to provide anoperation apparatus for a vehicle that enables reduction of the numberof buttons and simplification of the structure.

The objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to thosementioned above, and other objectives not mentioned will be clearlyunderstood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above objective, according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure, there is provided an operation apparatus for avehicle, the operation apparatus including: a panel provided in thevehicle, and having an opening; an operation module capable of moving,through the opening, between a first position and a second positionspaced apart from each other in a first direction and having a buttondisposed at a front end; a first rotary link and a second rotary link,each configured to be rotatably provided, at a rear of the operationmodule, on an axis extending in a second direction orthogonal to thefirst direction, and to be paired with each other; a drive sourceconfigured to provide a driving force for rotating the first rotary linkand the second rotary link; and a cam mechanism configured to connectthe first rotary link and the second rotary link to the operationmodule, to induce an angular motion in which the first rotary link andthe second rotary link are rotated in opposite directions, and to movethe operation module to the first position or the second positionaccording to a direction of the angular motion.

The cam mechanism may include: a first cam pin provided on the firstrotary link and a second cam pin provided on the second rotary link; anda first cam pin guide having a first guide path connected to the firstcam pin, and a second cam pin guide having a second guide path connectedto the second cam pin, wherein each of the first cam pin guide and thesecond cam pin guide is provided on the operation module.

Each of the first rotary link and the second rotary link may have afirst end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end may bedisposed on the axis and the second end may be disposed in a rearwardposition or a forward position located forward of the rearward positionaccording to the direction of the angular motion. The first cam pin andthe second cam pin may be provided at the second end of the first rotarylink and at the second end of the second rotary link, respectively,along the second direction. The first guide path and the second guidepath may extend in a straight line along a third direction orthogonal toa plane including the first direction and the second direction. Thedrive source may be a linear actuator including a moving body, whereinthe moving body is movable in the third direction. Each of the firstrotary link and the second rotary link may be configured such that thefirst end thereof is rotatably connected to the moving body about theaxis.

The first rotary link and the second rotary link, which are connected tothe operation module by the cam mechanism and paired with each other,may be provided in plurality, and may be uniformly disposed in a centralregion of the rear of the operation module.

The operation module may be switched to an inactive state in the firstposition and an active state in the second position. The operationmodule may be configured such that, in the first position, a surface ofthe button may be flush with a surface of the panel. The second positionmay be located forward of the first position, whereby the operationmodule may be configured such that the button may protrude from thesurface of the panel in the second position. Alternatively, the secondposition may be located rearward of the first position, whereby theoperation module may be configured such that the button may be recessedfrom the surface of the panel in the second position.

The operation apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may further include: a finish skin that provides afinished surface covering a surface of the panel to block the opening,has flexibility, and is configured such that a portion blocking theopening is moved together with the button so that a shape of thefinished surface changes according to the moving of the operationmodule.

The operation apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may further include: a sensor that detects a user'saction for manipulating the button; and a control unit that controls thedrive source on the basis of a detection signal from the sensor. Theoperation module may move a first distance or a second distance from thefirst position according to the user's action, wherein the movement ofthe first distance may place the operation module in a rear region ofthe second position and the movement of the second distance may placethe operation module in a front region of the second position.

The button may be operated to perform different functions depending onwhether the operation module is located in the front region or the rearregion.

The sensor may detect, on the basis of the user action, whether a user'sbody is located in a first range of distance or a second range ofdistance from the button.

The operation apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure may be configured such that the operation module maymove the first distance when the sensor detects that the user's body islocated in the first range of distance, and the operation module maymove the second distance when the sensor detects that the user's body islocated in the second range of distance.

The operation module may include a light source. The light source may becontrolled by the control unit to emit light of different colorsdepending on whether the operation module is located in the front regionor the rear region.

The operation module may be configured to operate in a touch manner. Forexample, for the touch method, the operation module may be configured touse a change in capacitance as the user's body part, such as a hand,approaches the button. Alternatively, the operation module may beconfigured to operate in a push-based manner instead of the touchmanner.

Technical solutions will become more specific and clear from theexamples, drawings, etc. described below. In addition, various solutionsother than the aforementioned ones may be additionally suggested below.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, depending on theposition of an operation module, a button may be in a state easily seenby a user (for example, a state in which the operation module is locatedin the second position and the button protrudes from the surface of apanel) or in a state difficult to be seen by the user (for example, astate in which the operation module is located in the first position andthe surface of the button is flush with the surface of the panel).Accordingly, it is possible to provide better visibility and improveddesign regarding the button.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, sincea drive unit for moving the operation module includes rotary links(paired first and second rotary links), a single drive source (linearactuator), and a cam mechanism (first cam pin and first cam pin guideconnected to each other, and second cam pin and second cam pin guideconnected to each other), and the cam mechanism is configured to convertangular motion of the rotary links by the drive source into linearmotion and transmit it to the operation module, the operation module canbe moved quickly and precisely by a simple configuration and hightorque.

Moreover, since the paired first rotary link and the second rotary linkare rotated in opposite directions to spread apart the rotary links orbring the rotary links together during angular motion, it is possible toimplement a constant speed movement of the operation module withoutvibration by reliably transmitting the driving force of the drive sourceto the operation module, and to stably and evenly support the operationmodule so that the operation module does not move. Additionally, in theprocess of moving the operation module, since the rotation center of therotary links is moved and the position of the rotation center changes,the drive unit can be configured compactly as a whole by shortening themoving distance of the first cam pin and/or the second cam pin, and thelike.

Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, sincedifferent functions are performed depending on the positions of thebuttons, it is possible to reduce the number of buttons to be applied tothe vehicle, thereby preventing the interior of a vehicle from beingcluttered with many buttons.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentionedabove, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood bythose skilled in the art from this specification and accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an operation apparatus for a vehicleaccording to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating main functional units of theoperation apparatus for a vehicle according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an operation module assemblyshown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the back with a base cover separatedin FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating a part of a drive unit shown inFIG. 4 ;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side views illustrating motions of the operationapparatus for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are side views illustrating motions of the operationapparatus for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an operationapparatus for a vehicle, a vehicle including the same, etc. may beprovided. The operation apparatus may be used to operate various devicesincluded in a vehicle. For example, devices operated by the operationapparatus (hereinafter referred to as a device to be operated) mayinclude a navigation device, an air conditioning device, a sound device,a lighting device, a door lock device, a door opening or closing device,a motor/engine starting device, a driving speed control device, etc.Therefore, the vehicle according to the embodiments of the presentdisclosure may include the operation apparatus and at least one or moredevices to be operated by the operation apparatus. The operationapparatus and the device to be operated may be electrically connected toeach other.

The operation apparatus is installed in a vehicle and includes a buttonmanipulated by a user. The operation apparatus may be provided toconstitute a part of a vehicle. The part to which the operationapparatus is applied may be primarily an interior part of a vehicle. Forexample, the interior part may be a door trim, a ceiling panel, adashboard, a console, a seat, an armrest, and a central part of asteering wheel (hub), etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure will bemainly focused on application of the operation apparatus to an interiorpart of a vehicle.

First, an operation apparatus for a vehicle according to a firstembodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The operationapparatus for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 .

Referring to FIG. 1 , the operation apparatus includes: a panel 1constituting an interior part of a vehicle; and at least one operationmodule assembly 3 provided on the panel 1.

The panel 1 has a panel surface and a panel back surface. The panel 1may be configured such that the panel surface provides only a part ofthe surface of an interior part depending on the type, shape, etc. ofthe interior part, or that the panel surface provides the entire surfaceof the interior part. The panel 1 has an opening 2. The opening 2 isprovided to penetrate the panel 1 through the panel surface and thepanel back surface.

The operation module assembly 3 includes an operation module 10. Theoperation module 10 includes a button 11 manipulated by a user and isconfigured to operate, for example, in a touch manner. The button 11 isdisposed at a front end of the operation module 10, and thus theoperation module 10 has a front part including the front end composed ofthe button 11. The operation module 10 is moved in a front-backdirection (refer to the Y-axis direction) which is a first directionwith respect to the opening 2 of the panel 1. Here, the front-backdirection is a direction composed of a front direction F (see FIG. 7 )facing the interior of the vehicle from the panel surface and a backdirection B (see FIG. 6 ) facing a direction opposite to the frontdirection.

The button 11 that moves together with the operation module 10 mayappear and disappear through the opening 2. To make the button 11 appearand disappear, the button 11 may protrude in an embossed form withrespect to the panel surface to reveal its position and/or shape (seeFIG. 7 ). The button 11 may be recessed in an engraved form rather thanthe embossed form with respect to the panel surface in order to revealits position and/or shape. The embossed protrusion and the engravedrecession may be achieved by moving the operation module 10 in thefront-back direction with respect to the opening 2. The number ofopenings 2 may be increased or decreased according to the number ofoperation module assemblies 3 provided.

The operation apparatus further includes a skin 4 covering the surfaceof the panel and the button 11 to provide a finished surface. The skin 4may be sized to cover some or all of the panel surface including theopening 2 of the panel 1. The skin 4 has flexibility (or elasticity) sothat when the button 11 is moved, a portion covering the button 11 (aportion blocking the opening 2) is deformed by the button 11. In otherwords, the shape of the finished surface may change. For example, theportion covering the button 11 may be protruded by the button 11 to forma generally flat shape of the finished surface (see FIG. 7 ). When thefinished surface is restored to the generally flat shape, the shape ofthe button 11 is hidden. Therefore, it is possible to prevent theinterior of the vehicle from being cluttered with the button 11 (seeFIG. 6 ).

The skin 4 may be bonded to the panel surface. In addition, since theportion covering the button 11 (the portion that blocks the opening 2)is bonded to the surface of the button 11, the skin 4 may be movedtogether with the button 11 and precisely deformed. In particular, thebonding of the skin 4 to the surface of the button 11 may be requiredwhen the button 11 is capable of being recessed to be flush with thepanel surface. The bonding of the skin 4 to the panel surface and/or thebonding of the skin 4 to the surface of the button 11 maybe made firmlyby an adhesive or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 , the operation module assembly 3 furtherincludes a base 21 disposed at a rear of the panel 1, and a base cover22 detachably coupled to the base 21 at a rear of the base 21. The base21 and the base cover 22 constitute a case 20. Referring to FIGS. 6 and7 , the case 20 is configured to provide an accommodating space 23therein, which is partially or wholly blocked from the outside, and thebase 21 has a through region 24 facing the opening 2. For example, thethrough region 24 may be provided in the form of a hole. As illustratedin FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 , the base 21 may be mounted on the back side ofthe panel by means of fastening elements 31. The fastening elements 31may be bolts, the base 21 may have an insertion hole 25 through whicheach bolt 31 passes, and the insertion holes 25 may be disposed aroundthe through region 24. The bolts 31 passing through the insertion holes25 may be coupled to female screw members 32 on the back surface of thepanel, respectively.

The operation module 10 is provided to be moving between a firstposition and a second position spaced apart from each other in thefront-back direction while being inserted into the through region 24 ofthe base 21. The first position is a position where the button 11 isaccommodated in the opening 2, and the button 11 is formed such that thesurface thereof is flush with the panel surface. The second position islocated forward of the first position in the front direction F, and is aposition where the button 11 protrudes from the panel surface. When theoperation module 10 is located in the first position, the skin 4 mayhide the button 11 by providing a finished surface in a generally flatshape (see FIG. 6 ). When the operation module 10 is moved to the secondposition, the button 11 protrudes from the panel surface and the skin 4may be deformed into a shape in which a portion covering the button 11protrudes by the button 11 to reveal the position of the button 11 (seeFIG. 7 ). Depending on implementation, the second position may be aposition in which the button 11 is recessed with respect to the panelsurface while being located rearward of the first position in the backdirection B. In this case, when the operation module 10 is moved to thesecond position, the skin 4 may be deformed into a shape in which aportion covering the button 11 is recessed to reveal the position of thebutton 11.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the operation module 10 may be preciselymoved in the front-back direction with respect to the opening 2 by amodule guide (Y-axis guide) having a plurality of guide pins 33 andguide holes 34. Each of the guide pins 33 is provided in the base 21,protrudes into the accommodating space 23 along the front-backdirection, and is inserted into each of the guide holes 34. Guide holes34 are provided in the operation module 10. Accordingly, the operationmodule 10 may be moved by the guidance of the guide pins 33. The guidepins 33 may be arranged around the through region 24 in theaccommodating space 23. The guide holes 34 may be provided at the rearof the operation module 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6 , theoperation module 10 may further include a module box 15 disposed at therear of the button 11, the module box 15 has a cover member 16constituting a rear portion including the rear end of the operationmodule 10, and the guide holes 34 may be disposed around the covermember 16.

The operation module assembly 3 may further include a drive unit (see41, 45A, 45B, 50 and 60 in FIGS. 4 and 5 ) provided in the accommodatingspace 23. The drive unit may move the operation module 10 in thefront-back direction with respect to the opening 2 to position theoperation module 10 in the first position or the second position.

By the drive unit, the operation module 10 may be moved from the firstposition to the second position in the front direction F. When theoperation module 10 is located in the second position, the button 11protrudes from the panel surface, and the skin 4 is deformed into ashape in which a portion covering the button 11 protrudes (see FIG. 7 ).On the other hand, by the drive unit, the operation module 10 may bemoved from the second position to the first position in the backdirection B. When the operation module 10 is located in the firstposition, the button 11 has a surface flush with the panel surface, andthe skin 4 is restored to provide the generally flat finished surface(see FIG. 6 ). Of course, if the second position is located rearward ofthe first position and is a position where the button 11 is recessedwith respect to the panel surface, the skin 4 may be deformed into ashape in which a portion covering the button 11 is recessed.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the drive unit includes a drive source 50and is configured to move the operation module 10 in the front-backdirection by using a driving force of the drive source 50. To bespecific, the drive unit includes: a shaft member 41 positioned rearwardof the operation module 10 and extended along an axis orthogonal to thefront-back direction, wherein the axis that the shaft member 41 isextended is referred to as a second direction; a first rotary link 45Aand a second rotary link 45B, each rotatable about the shaft member 41and paired with each other; a drive source 50 providing a driving forcefor rotating the first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B;and a cam mechanism 60 that performs an angular motion in which thepaired first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B rotate inopposite directions within a preset angular range, converts the angularmotion into a linear motion in the front-back direction, and transmitsthe linear motion to the operation module 10. In addition, the driveunit is configured such that the position of the shaft member 41, whichis the rotation center of the first rotary link 45A and the secondrotary link 45B, is moved when the first rotary link 45A and the secondrotary link 45B connected to the operation module 10 are rotated inorder to move the operation module 10 through the cam mechanism 60. Themovement of the position of the shaft member 41 allows for a morecompact configuration for the drive unit.

As noted above, the second direction is a direction orthogonal to thefront-back direction. Accordingly, the second direction may be aleft-right direction (refer to the X-axis direction), an up-downdirection (refer to the Z-axis direction), etc. In this embodiment, theleft-right direction is the second direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the first rotary link 45A has a first end 46Aand a second end 47A, and the second rotary link 45B has a first end 46Band a second end 47B. The first rotary link 45A and the second rotarylink 45B may have a straight shape. The paired first rotary link 45A andthe second rotary link 45B may be disposed adjacent and parallel to eachother. The first rotary link 45A has the first end 46A and the secondend 47A spaced apart and positioned on opposite ends of the first rotarylink 45A, and the first end 46A is rotatably connected to the shaftmember 41 to be rotated about the shaft member 41. The second rotarylink 45B has the first end 46B and the second end 47B spaced apart andpositioned on opposite ends of the second rotary link 45B, and the firstend 46B is rotatably connected to the shaft member 41 to be rotatedabout the shaft member 41. The angular motion of the first rotary link45A and the angular motion of the second rotary link 45B are performedin a state in which the first ends 46A and 46B are disposed rearward ofthe second ends 47A and 47B, respectively. By the cam mechanism 60, thepaired first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B rotate inopposite directions during the angular motion, so that they may spreadthe first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B apart or bringthe first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B the rotarylinks together. Thereby, the second end 47A of the first rotary link 45Aand the second end 47B of the second rotary link 45B may be positionedin a rearward position or a forward position forward of the rearwardposition depending on a direction of the angular motion of the pairedfirst rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B. The direction ofthe angular motion may be an angular motion in which the paired rotarylinks are rotated in opposite directions to spread the paired rotarylinks apart with respect to each other or an angular motion in which thepaired rotary links are rotated in opposite directions to bring thepaired rotary links together.

For the first rotary link 45A, when the second end 47A is positioned inthe rearward position, a first imaginary straight line connecting thecenter of the first end 46A and the center of the second end 47A mayform a 1A angle with respect to the front-back direction, while when thesecond end 47A is positioned in the forward position, the firstimaginary straight line may form a 2A angle with respect to thefront-back direction. For the second rotary link 45B, when the secondend 47B is positioned in the rearward position, a second imaginarystraight line SL connecting the center of the first end 46B and thecenter of the second end 47B may form a 1B angle with respect to thefront-back direction, while when the second end 47B is positioned in theforward position, the second imaginary straight line SL may form a 2Bangle with respect to the front-back direction. The 2A angle is smallerthan the 1A angle and the 2B angle is smaller than the 1B angle. In thisembodiment, the 2A angle and the 2B angle are defined as zero (0)degrees. FIG. 6 shows the state in which the paired first rotary link45A and the second rotary link 45B are spread apart with respect to eachother so that the second ends 47A and 47B are positioned in the rearwardposition, and FIG. 7 shows the state in which the paired first rotarylink 45A and the second rotary link 45B are brought together so that thesecond ends 47A and 47B are positioned in the forward position.

Among the paired first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B,the first rotary link 45A may be brought to the 2A angle state (thestate in which the second end 47A is positioned in the forward position)by an angular motion in which the first rotary link 45A rotates in acounterclockwise direction C2 from the 1A angle state (the state inwhich the second end 47A is positioned in the rearward position), whilethe second rotary link 45B may be brought to the 2B angle state (thestate in which the second end 47B is positioned in the forward position)by an angular motion in which the second rotary link 45B rotates in thea clockwise direction C1 from the 1B angle state (the state in which thesecond end 47B is positioned in the rearward position) (see FIG. 7 ). Ofcourse, the first rotary link 45A may be brought to the 1A angle stateby an angular motion in which the first rotary link 45A rotates in theclockwise direction C1 from the 2A angle state, and the second rotarylink 45B may be brought to the 1B angle state by an angular motion inwhich the second rotary link 45B rotates in the counterclockwisedirection C2 from the 2B angle state (see FIG. 6 ).

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 , the drive source 50 is a linearactuator including a moving body 52 performing a linear motion, and themoving body 52 is provided to move along an up-down direction (refer tothe Z-axis direction), which is also referred to as a third direction.The third direction is orthogonal to a plane including a first direction(front-back direction) and a second direction (left-right direction).The linear actuator 50 may be configured to move the moving body 52 inthe up-down direction using a rotary motor 51.

The rotary motor 51 may have a position fixed to the base 21 or the basecover 22, and a male screw may be formed on the outer periphery of amotor shaft disposed in the up-down direction. The moving body 52 may beprecisely moved in the up-down direction by a body guide 35 provided onthe base 21 or the base cover 22. The moving body 52 may have a femalescrew corresponding to the male screw of the motor shaft of the rotarymotor 51. The moving body 52 is screw-coupled with the motor shaft bymeans of the female screw and is restricted from being rotated togetherin the same direction as the motor shaft by the body guide 35 or thelike, and thereby, may be moved in an upward direction U (see FIG. 7 )or in a downward direction L (see FIG. 6 ) according to the rotationdirection of the motor shaft.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the shaft member 41 is coupled to themoving body 52 of the linear actuator 50 to move in the up-downdirection with the moving body 52. Of course, since the first ends 46Aand 46B of the first and second rotary links 45A and 45B are rotatablycoupled to the shaft member 41, the rotation center of the first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B is also moved in the up-down directionwith the moving body 52.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 , the cam mechanism 60 includes the firstcam pin 61A and the second cam pin 61B and the first cam pin guide 62Aand the second cam pin guide 62B for converting angular motion of thefirst and second rotary links 45A and 45B into linear motion in thefront-back direction and transmits the linear motion to the operationmodule 10 in order to move the operation module 10 in the frontdirection F or the back direction B. The first cam pin guide 62A has afirst guide path 63A, and the second cam pin guide 62B has a secondguide path 63B. The first guide path 63A is connected to the first campin 61A, and the second guide path 63B is connected to the second campin 61B. The cam mechanism 60 is configured such that the first cam pin61A is provided on the first rotary link 45A and the second cam pin 61Bis provided on the second rotary link 45B, the first and second cam pinguides 62A and 62B are provided in the operation module 10, and theoperation module 10 moves to the first position or the second positionaccording to the direction of the angular motion of the first and secondrotary links 45A and 45B.

The first cam pin 61A is provided along the left-right direction (referto the X-axis direction) at the center of the second end 47A of thefirst rotary link 45A and protrudes from the second end 47A of the firstrotary link 45A, while the second cam pin 61B is provided along theleft-right direction at the center of the second end 47B of the secondrotary link 45B and protrudes from the second end 47B of the secondrotary link 45B. The first cam pin guide 62A is provided at the rearportion of the operation module 10 to face the first cam pin 61A, hasthe first guide path 63A at a portion facing the first cam pin 61A, andis disposed so that the first guide path 63A may be connected to thefirst cam pin 61A. The second cam pin guide 62B is provided at the rearportion of the operation module 10 to face the second cam pin 61B, hasthe second guide path 63B at a portion facing the second cam pin 61B,and is disposed so that the second guide path 63B may be connected tothe second cam pin 61B. As shown in FIG. 5 , the cam pin guides 62A and62B may be attached to the cover member 16.

The first guide path 63A is provided to have a groove (cam groove) orhole (cam hole) structure into which the first cam pin 61A is inserted,and the second guide path 63B is provided to have a groove (cam groove)or hole (cam hole) structure into which the second cam pin 61B isinserted. The first and second guide paths 63A and 63B are formed toextend along the up-down direction (refer to the Z-axis direction), havea constant length, and have a constant width in the front-back direction(refer to the Y-axis direction). The first and second guide paths 63Aand 63B may be a straight shape.

The first and second guide paths 63A and 63B move the operation module10 to the first position by motions of the first and second cam pins 61Aand 61B activated when the second ends 47A and 47B of the first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B are moved from the forward position tothe rearward position, (See FIG. 6 ), and move the operation module 10to the second position when the second ends 47A and 47B of the first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B are moved from the rearward position tothe forward position (see FIG. 7 ).

The first and second cam pins 61A and 61B may be provided in acylindrical shape so that the respective cross-section of the portioninserted into the first and second guide paths 63A and 63B may be formedin a circular shape, and the first and second guide paths 63A and 63Bmay be formed with a width corresponding to the diameter of therespective first and second cam pins 61A and 61B.

The first guide path 63A may be provided such that the upper endrestricts further movement (upward rotation movement) of the first campin 61A beyond a first predetermined distance when the first rotary link45A is rotated in the clockwise direction C1 in order to place thesecond end 47A of the first rotary link 45A at the rearward position,while the second guide path 63B may be provided such that the lower endrestricts further movement (downward rotation movement) of the secondcam pin 61B beyond a second predetermined distance when the secondrotary link 45B is rotated in the counterclockwise direction C2 in orderto place the second end 47B of the second rotary link 45B at therearward position (see FIG. 6 ). The first guide path 63A may also beprovided such that the lower end restricts further movement (downwardrotation movement) of the first cam pin 61A beyond a third predetermineddistance when the first rotary link 45A is rotated in thecounterclockwise direction C2 in order to place the second end 47A ofthe first rotary link 45A at the forward position, while the secondguide path 63B may be provided such that the upper end restricts furthermovement (upward rotation movement) of the second cam pin 61B beyond afourth predetermined distance when the second rotary link 45B is rotatedin the clockwise direction C1 in order to place the second end 47B ofthe second rotary link 45B at the forward position (see FIG. 7 ).

As described above, in the drive unit, when the second ends 47A and 47Bof the first and second rotary links 45A and 45B are positioned in therearward position so that the operation module 10 is positioned in thefirst position, the shaft member 41 and the moving body 52 aremaintained in the state moved in the downward direction L, and as thefirst and second rotary links 45A and 45B are spread apart with respectto each other, the first cam pin 61A remains positioned at the upper endof the first guide path 63A and the second cam pin 61B remainspositioned at the lower end of the second guide path 63B (see FIG. 6 ).

At this state, when the linear actuator 50 is operated to move themoving body 52 in the upward direction U, the shaft member 41 is movedtogether in the same direction. Accordingly, the paired first and secondrotary links 45A and 45B rotate in opposite directions (the first rotarylink 45A rotates in the counterclockwise direction C2, and the secondrotary link 45B rotates in the clockwise direction C1) so as to berotatably brought together about the shaft member 41. Next, the secondends 47A and 47B of the first and second rotary links 45A and 45B aremoved from the rearward position to the forward position. As aconsequence, the first rotary link 45A is in the 2A angular state (astate in which the second end 47A of the first rotary link 45A ispositioned in the forward position) while the second rotary link 45B isin the 2B angular state (a state in which the second end 47B of thesecond rotary link 45B is positioned in the forward position), and thefirst cam pin 61A and the second cam pin 61B are moved together with thesecond end 47A of the first rotary link 45A and the second end 47B ofthe second rotary link 45B, respectively. Accordingly, the operationmodule 10 is moved from the first position in the front direction F tobe positioned at the second position by the first cam pin 61A and thefirst guide path 63A connected to each other and the second cam pin 61Band the second guide path 63B connected to each other (see FIG. 7 ).

Conversely, by moving the moving body 52 in the downward direction L,the first rotary link 45A in the 2A angular state is rotated in theclockwise direction C1 to reach the 1A angular state (a state in whichthe second end 47A of the first rotary link 45A is positioned in thereverse position) and the second rotary link 45B in the 2B angular stateis rotated in the counterclockwise direction C2 to reach the 1B angularstate (a state in which the second end 47B of the second rotary link 45Bis positioned in the reverse position). As a consequence, the operationmodule 10 at the second position is moved in the back direction B and ispositioned at the first position by the first cam pin 61A and the firstguide path 63A connected to each other and the second cam pin 61B andthe second guide path 63B connected to each other (see FIG. 6 ).

As such, the drive unit (see 41, 45A, 45B, 50 and 60 of FIGS. 4 and 5 )is operated such that the paired first and second rotary links 45A and45B perform angular motion in which the paired first and second rotarylinks 45A and 45B rotate in opposite directions for brining rotary links45A and 45B together when the operation module 10 is moved from thefirst position in the front direction F to be positioned at the secondposition. Accordingly, the driving force of the linear actuator 50 isreliably transmitted to the operation module 10 through the first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B that are brought together, and theoperation module 10 may be precisely moved at a constant speed.

Conversely, when the operation module 10 is moved from the secondposition in the back direction B to be positioned at the first position,the drive unit is operated such that the paired first and second rotarylinks 45A and 45B perform angular motion in which the paired first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B rotate in opposite directions forspreading apart with respect to each other. Accordingly, as an example,even if an external force in the back direction B is applied to theoperation module 10 located in the first position, the operation module10 may be more stably supported by the first and second rotary links 45Aand 45B spread apart with respect to each other and may be maintained inthe first position.

In order to further enhance the effect of the angular motion in whichthe first rotary link 45A and the second rotary link 45B are rotated ina direction to be spread apart or brought together, the paired first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B may be arranged to have a verticalsymmetry in the central region of the rear of the operation module 10 soas to uniformly transmit the driving force of the linear actuator 50 tothe operation module 10.

As described above, the drive unit is configured such that, the shaftmember 41, which is the rotation center of the first and second rotarylinks 45A and 45B, is moved in the up-down direction and the position ofthe shaft member 41 is changed in the process of moving the operationmodule 10. Therefore, when compared with the configuration in which thefirst and second rotary links 45A and 45B are rotated about a shaftmember 41 fixed to a position, the moving distance of at least one ofthe first cam pin 61A and the second cam pin 61B and the length of atleast one of the first guide path 63A and the second guide path 63B maybe shortened. Accordingly, the area required for the angular motion ofthe first and second rotary links 45A and 45B in the accommodating space23 may be further reduced, and at least one of the first cam pin guide62A and the second cam pin guide 62B may be provided in a smaller size,so that the overall size of the operation module 10 may be reduced.

Contrary to the description above, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 , thepaired first and second rotary links 45A and 45B may be provided inplurality, and be disposed at intervals so as to be spaced apart fromeach other in the left and right directions. As the paired first andsecond rotary links 45A and 45B are provided in plurality, the cammechanism 60 may also be provided with a plurality of the first cam pin61A and the first cam pin guide 62A, and a plurality of the second campin 61B and the second cam pin guide 62B. Here, the plurality of firstrotary links 45A or the plurality of second rotary links 45B may beconnected to each other by a connecting member 48 and rotated together,as shown in FIG. 5 . Additionally, the plurality of pairs of the firstrotary links 45A and the second rotary links 45B connected to theoperation module 10 by the cam mechanism 60 may be uniformly disposed inthe central region of the rear of the operation module 10 in order tofurther enhance the effect of the angular motion operation in which theplurality of pairs of the first rotary links 45A and the second rotarylinks 45B are rotated in a direction to be spread apart or broughttogether.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operation apparatus further includes: auser detection sensor 5 for detecting a user's action for manipulatingthe button 11; and a control unit 6 for controlling the operation module10 and the drive unit on the basis of a detection signal from the userdetection sensor 5.

The user detection sensor 5 may be a proximity sensor that detectswhether a user's body part, such as a hand, is in proximity to thebutton 11. To be specific, the user detection sensor 5 may be an opticalproximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, an ultrasonic proximitysensor, a high frequency oscillation proximity sensor, a capacitiveproximity sensor, or the like. For reference, among these sensors, theoptical proximity sensor may include a light emitting element and alight receiving element receiving light from the light emitting element.The light emitting element may be a light emitting diode, and the lightreceiving element may be a phototransistor. The user detection sensor 5may be provided around the opening 2 in the panel surface (see FIG. 1 ).

When a detection signal is input from the user detection sensor 5 whilethe operation module 10 is located in the first position, a control unit6 determines that the user attempts to manipulate the button 11, andmoves the moving body 52 in the upward direction U by the control of thelinear actuator 50 to move the operation module 10 from the firstposition to the second position (see FIG. 7 ). When the button 11 is notmanipulated for a preset time after the operation module 10 is locatedin the second position, the control unit 6 determines that the user doesnot want to manipulate the button 11, and moves the moving body 52 inthe downward direction L by the control of the linear actuator 50 tomove the operation module 10 from the second position to the firstposition (see FIG. 6 ).

The operation module 10 is kept in an inactive state in the firstposition and is kept in an active state in the second position. Toswitch the state of the operation module 10, the control unit 6 may setthe operation module 10 to an inactive state when the operation module10 is in the first position, or to an active state when the operationmodule 10 is in the second position. Due to the configuration thatallows switching between active and inactive states with respect to theoperation module 10, the user may manipulate the button 11 to operate adevice to be operated when the operation module 10 is located in thesecond position, and while the operation module 10 is waiting in thefirst position, it is possible to prevent the button 11 from beingaccidentally actuated by the user, thereby avoiding an unintentionaloperation of a device associated to the button 11.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the operation module 10 further includes alight source 12 for providing light. The light source 12 may be built inthe button 11 to emit the light toward the surface of the button 11. Thelight source 12 may provide light of various colors. For example, thelight source 12 may include at least one light emitting diode. Asillustrated in FIG. 3 , the button 11 is provided with alight-transmitting area 13 through which light from the light source 12passes, and a light-blocking area 14 blocking the light from passingthrough on the surface thereof. The light-transmitting area 13 may beformed to have the shape of characters and/or figures indicating thefunction of the button 11.

In the operation module 10, the light source 12 is maintained in an offstate in the first position, and the light source 12 is maintained in anon state in the second position. To change the state of the light source12, the control unit 6 may turn off the light source 12 when theoperation module 10 is located in the first position, and turn on thelight source 12 when the operation module 10 is located in the secondposition. Due to the configuration that allows switching between off andon states with respect to the light source 12, when the operation module10 is located in the second position, the active state of the operationmodule 10 and the position of the button 11 may be more accuratelyrecognized by the user.

The skin 4 has a uniform light transmittance which allows light from thelight source 12 pass through the skin 4, and the user's action formanipulating the button 11 can be detected by the user detection sensor5 although the user detection sensor 5 is provided around the opening 2in the panel surface. The skin 4 may be a sheet having the lighttransmittance woven with fibers having flexibility or elasticity.

Hereinafter, an operation apparatus for a vehicle according to a secondembodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The operationapparatus for a vehicle according to the second embodiment of thepresent disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 . The operationapparatus for a vehicle according to the second embodiment of thepresent disclosure is different from the operation apparatus for avehicle according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure onlyin that the button is configured to perform a plurality of functions,and a related configuration thereof will now be explained in details.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 , the operation apparatus for a vehicle isconfigured such that the button 11 may protrude (or recessed) atdifferent heights from the panel surface of the panel 1. That is, thesecond position may consist of a rear region and a front region, whereinthe rear region is located relatively close to the panel surface and canbe reached by moving the operation module 10 a first distance from thefirst position, and the front region is located relatively far from thepanel surface and can be reached by moving the operation module 10 asecond distance from the first position. Accordingly, the button 11 mayprotrude to a first height H1 when the operation module 10 is moved thefirst distance from the first position and is located in the rear regionof the second position (see FIG. 8 ), and may protrude to a secondheight H2 when the operation module 10 is moved the second distancelonger than the first distance and is located in the front region of thesecond position. (see FIG. 9 ). As another example, when the button 11is configured to be recessed relative to the panel surface and thesecond position is located behind the first position, the button 11 maybe recessed to different heights (depth).

The operation module 10 may be moved the first distance from the firstposition according to the detection signal of the user detection sensor5 to be located in the rear region of the second position. In this case,the button 11 is projected to the first height H1 (see FIG. 8 ). Theoperation module 10 may be moved the second distance from the firstposition according to the detection signal of the user detection sensor5 to be located in the front region of the second position. In thiscase, the button 11 is projected to the second height H2 (see FIG. 9 ).In addition, the button 11 may be operated to perform a first functionand a second function when the operation module 10 is positioned in therear region and the front region respectively. For example, when thedevice to be operated is a sound device, a volume increase may beperformed as a first operation corresponding to the first function, anda volume decrease may be performed as a second operation correspondingto the second function. As another example, when the button 11 ismanipulated while the operation module 10 is located in the rear region,a first device to be operated (e.g., a lighting device) may be operatedas the first function, and when the button 11 is manipulated while theoperation module 10 is located in the front region, a second device tobe operated may be operated as the second function. With thisconfiguration, since multiple functions may be performed with onebutton, the number of buttons required to be provided may be reduced,and further, the interior structure of the vehicle may be simplified.

To implement multiple functions with one button, the user detectionsensor 5 may detect, on the basis of the user's action for manipulatingthe button 11, whether a user's hand or the like that is in theproximity of the button 11 is located in a first range of distance or ina second range of distance based on the button 11. For example, theregion of the first range of distance may be a predetermined range ofdistance in which the user's hand or the like that is in the proximityof the button 11 is at a relatively close distance from the button 11,and the region of the second range of distance may be anotherpredetermined range of distance in which the user's hand or the likethat is in the proximity of the button 11 is at a relatively longdistance from the button 11. As another example, the first range ofdistance and the second range of distance may be a left region (or anupper region) and a right region (or a lower region) with respect to thebutton 11 of the operation module 10 at the first position.

In this regard, when the user detection sensor 5 detects that the user'shand is positioned in the first range of distance while the operationmodule 10 is located in the first position, the control unit (see 6 inFIG. 2 ) may determine that the user is attempting to perform the firstfunction and may move the operation module 10 to the rear region of thesecond position (see FIG. 4 ) by the control of the linear actuator (see50 in FIG. 4 ). Of course, when the user detection sensor 5 detects thatthe user's hand is positioned in the second range of distance, thecontrol unit may determine that the user is attempting to perform thesecond function and may move the operation module 10 to the front regionof the second position by the control of the linear actuator (see FIG. 8).

Meanwhile, by the control unit (see 6 in FIG. 2 ), the light source (see12 in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) may maintain a state of emitting different colorsof light depending on whether the operation module 10 is located in therear region or the front region of the second position. When theoperation module 10 is located in the rear region, the light source mayemit the light of a first color. When the operation module 10 is locatedin the front region, the light source may emit the light of a secondcolor. With this configuration, the user may more accurately recognizeif the operation module 10 is positioned in the front region orpositioned in the rear region.

Although the present disclosure has been described above, the presentdisclosure is not limited by the disclosed embodiments and theaccompanying drawings and may be variously modified by those skilled inthe art without departing from the technical spirits of the presentdisclosure. In addition, the technical spirits described in theembodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented independently,or may be implemented in combination of two or more.

What is claimed is:
 1. An operation apparatus for a vehicle, theoperation apparatus comprising: a panel provided in the vehicle, andhaving an opening; an operation module capable of moving, through theopening, between a first position and a second position spaced apartfrom each other in a first direction and having a button disposed at afront end; a first rotary link and a second rotary link, each configuredto be rotatably provided, at a rear of the operation module, on an axisextending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, andto be paired with each other; a drive source configured to provide adriving force for rotating the first rotary link and the second rotarylink; and a cam mechanism configured to connect the first rotary linkand the second rotary link to the operation module, to induce an angularmotion in which the first rotary link and the second rotary link arerotated in opposite directions, and to move the operation module to thefirst position or the second position according to a direction theangular motion.
 2. The operation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1,wherein the cam mechanism comprises: a first cam pin provided on thefirst rotary link and a second cam pin provided on the second rotarylink; and a first cam pin guide having a first guide path connected tothe first cam pin, and a second cam pin guide having a second guide pathconnected to the second cam pin, wherein each of the first cam pin guideand the second cam pin guide is provided on the operation module.
 3. Theoperation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein each of the firstrotary link and the second rotary link has a first end and a second endopposite the first end, wherein the first end is disposed on the axisand the second end is disposed in a rearward position or a forwardposition located forward of the rearward position according to thedirection of the angular motion, the first cam pin and the second campin are provided at the second end of the first rotary link and at thesecond end of the second rotary link, respectively, along the seconddirection, and the first guide path and the second guide path extend ina straight line along a third direction orthogonal to a plane includingthe first direction and the second direction.
 4. The operation apparatusfor a vehicle of claim 3, wherein the drive source is a linear actuatorincluding a moving body, wherein the moving body is movable in the thirddirection, and each of the first rotary link and the second rotary linkis configured such that the first end thereof is rotatably connected tothe moving body about the axis.
 5. The operation apparatus for a vehicleof claim 1, wherein the first rotary link and the second rotary link,which are connected to the operation module by the cam mechanism andpaired with each other, are provided in plurality, and are uniformlydisposed in a central region of the rear of the operation module.
 6. Theoperation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operationmodule is switched to an inactive state in the first position.
 7. Theoperation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operationmodule is configured such that, in the first position, a surface of thebutton is flush with a surface of the panel.
 8. The operation apparatusfor a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the second position is located forwardof the first position, and the operation module is configured such that,in the second position, the button protrudes from the surface of thepanel.
 9. The operation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, furthercomprising: a finish skin that provides a finished surface covering asurface of the panel to block the opening, has flexibility, and isconfigured such that a portion blocking the opening is moved togetherwith the button so that a shape of the finished surface changesaccording to the moving of the operation module.
 10. The operationapparatus for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor thatdetects a user's action for manipulating the button; and a control unitthat controls the drive source on the basis of a detection signal fromthe sensor, wherein the operation module moves a first distance or asecond distance from the first position according to the user's action,wherein the movement of the first distance places the operation modulein a rear region of the second position and the movement of the seconddistance places the operation module in a front region of the secondposition, and the button is operated to perform a different functiondepending on whether the operation module is located in the front regionor the rear region.
 11. The operation apparatus for a vehicle of claim10, wherein the sensor detects, on the basis of the user action, whethera user's body is located in a first range of distance or a second rangeof distance from the button.
 12. The operation apparatus for a vehicleof claim 11, wherein the operation module moves the first distance whenthe sensor detects that the user's body is located in the first range ofdistance, and the operation module moves the second distance when thesensor detects that the user's body is located in the second range ofdistance.
 13. The operation apparatus for a vehicle of claim 10, whereinthe operation module includes a light source, wherein the light sourceis controlled by the control unit to emit light of different colorsdepending on whether the operation module is located in the front regionor the rear region.